Downfall
by Viveca
Summary: This is my take on what could've happened up to, kind of during, and after EoME and it will completely disregard The New Stuff. Warning: This is un-Beta'd simply because, well, I don't have one.
1. Downfall Chapter 1

**Author's note:  This is my very first I-Man fic so please bear that in mind while reading.  If you want a feeling for where the story came from, so to speak, listen to "Be My Downfall" by Del Amitri.**

"You want me to do what?"  Silence filled the office.

"What part didn't you understand?"  The 'Fish sat up straight in his chair and placed his crossed hands on the desk.

"Ah…the point," Darien said simply.  He heard Hobbes clear his throat as a warning but decided to ignore him as usual.

"Dominique is a connected to Arnaud and we have reason to believe there might be a chance that Arnaud is involved with Chrysalis.  That's the point."

"So I'm supposed to what exactly…"

"Seduce her.  The Keeper has reverse engineered a duplicate of the nanoprobe Chrysalis had planted in you.  We need that probe in this woman in case she is in contact with Arnaud and you're the only man who can do it."  Darien blinked at the play on words.

"Chief…" Hobbes interrupted and was answered with a glare.

"No problem.  'Hey…how ya doin' and then straight to the sack.  Nothin' suspicious there."  Darien did nothing to hide the mockery in his voice.

"Exactly."  The Official sat back.  That had been easier than expected, or so he thought.

"No."

"What?"

"No way am I gonna be pimped out.  No."  He settled back into his uncomfortable chair.  No changing his mind this time.

"Too bad.  She's a knockout.  Hobbes, I guess you get this one."  The fat man closed the folder on his desk and looked from Fawkes to Hobbes, whose mood had improved.

"Whoa…hang on a second…define knockout…" Darien stuttered.

"That's all.  Hobbes, this afternoon."  Hobbes took the folder from Eberts' hand and bounced out.

"Wait a minute…Hobbesy…" Darien called after his partner, leaving the Official grinning.

In the hallway, Hobbes held the folder open in front of him, but didn't actually read it.  He didn't need to; he'd read it earlier that morning.

"You messed up big time, my friend.  Bobby Hobbes is on the case now."

"Messed up?  Whaddya mean…messed up…" Darien strained to see the folder Hobbes was guarding.

"What do I mean?  Man, that much beauty kept in a lab all day…although, I bet she's cute in a lab coat."

"Lab?"

"BioTech.  She's in research and ethics.  Anyway, you've got an appointment with the Keep and I've got a file to get to know."

                                          ***********************

"Darien, be still.  This would've been over by now if you weren't fidgeting so."  Claire was getting impatient with the man she was trying to examine.

"Come on, Hobbesy…just a peak.  Just lemme see what I'm missin'."  He pleaded with the other agent who was circling the examining table.

"I wouldn't want to upset you.  Claire says you're stressed enough as it is.  Right Claire?"

"Yes and you're not helping."  In an attempt to get Darien to stay still, she jabbed the counteragent needle in his arm without warning and was rewarded with a loud OUCH! and stillness.  Meanwhile, Bobby had perched himself on the edge of Claire's desk and was thumbing absently through the file.  The swish of the door of the Keep opening caught them all off guard.  

"Agent Hobbes, the Official would like to see you and the Keeper about the mission.  Agent Fawkes, you're…dismissed."  Eberts looked to Claire and Hobbes before turning to leave as Claire and Hobbes shrugged at each other before heading for the door.

Darien sat up and looked around.  "Hey…what about me?"

Hobbes answered from the hallway.  "Find something to amuse yourself."  The door swished shut behind him leaving the now visible Invisible Man alone in the lab.  Darien got up to leave and saw the assignment folder on the desk where Hobbes absently put it.  Looking around one last time, Darien sat on the folder, leaving just enough of it exposed to put his hand on and Quicksilver the folder.  Feeling the edges of the invisible folder, he folded his jacket around it and calmly walked out.

Claire, Bobby, the Official and Eberts watched on surveillance cameras as Darien walked down the hallway and out of the building.  Their plan had worked like a charm.

                                          ***********************

'What were they talking about, knockout?  The only picture in here is from a distance…' Darien thought to himself and realized he'd been had.  Oh well, he was already at the lab; might as well check her out.  Quicksilvering and maneuvering into the lab quickly behind the line of people on their way in, Darien made his was inside.  Some of the people filtered into an auditorium while others continued towards the lab.  Darien followed the crowd headed towards the lab, all the while looking at nametags for Dominique Tielle.  Nothing.  The only people in the lab were men.  Darien wandered around, reading over shoulders.  Everyone was reading the same presentation.

'Ethics in researching biomechanical neurological enhancers on human subjects by Dominique Tielle,' Darien read the title of the presentation.  'This one might be worth sticking around for.'

"Nick!  Where have you been?!  The presentation starts in ten minutes…" The guy whose shoulder Darien had been reading over turned quickly and Darien had to jump just to keep out of his way, but turned in time to see…Nick?  "Come on Nick!"  The worker urged.

Nick was a she and she really **was** a knockout.  'Nick…as in short for Dominique?' Darien mused until he saw her nametag.  Dominique Tielle.  Darien stood still as everyone from the lab filed out.  Looking around for any cameras and seeing none, Darien shook off the Quicksilver and just stood there.  He shook his head and followed after the crowd, still in shock.  From a distance she looked like…no, he wouldn't let himself think about _her_.  Instead, he found his way back to the now pack auditorium, situated himself in the very back where he could still see and here Dominique and listened.


	2. Downfall Chapter 2

Darien had sat, transfixed, during the entire presentation.  There were times when he thought that Dominique might now something about the Quicksilver Project, but she never mentioned it outright.  Most of the presentation hinged on medical babble but he followed most of it with little or no problems.  'All that time around Claire's becoming useful,' he thought to himself.  Darien observed that he was the only non-science person in the room but there were a group of people on the other side of the auditorium also in the back row who looked none too thrilled with what was being presented.

**Dominique is connected to Arnaud…might be a chance that Arnaud is involved with Chrysalis.** That's the reason he was here.  So were the mystery crew Arnaud's or Chrysalis mooks?  One of the bigger members of the group met Darien's gaze once the presentation was over so he decided to discretely hightail it out of the auditorium by letting himself be moved out into the hall by the exiting masses.  He'd already been seen and was surrounded by people so vanishing was not an option.  Instead, Darien ducked into an empty doorway to wait for Dominique to emerge.  When the coast was clear, he stepped out and looked around.

"You look like you're lost."  A voice said from behind Darien.  He turned to face the voice.

"What?"  Every thought in his head disappeared as Dominique took her glasses off slowly and continued to look at him.

"Well, you don't look like the rest of this crowd so either you're lost or just an unconventional scientist.  Which is it?"  She put her glasses in her pocket.

"Neither, actually.  I was on my way out.  Impressive presentation Dr. Tielle."  He moved closer to her.

"Thank you but I'm not a doctor.  If you don't mind me asking," she inched closer to Darien, "um, how…well, why…" she struggled to find the right words.  "Are you in biomechanics and neurological enhancers?"

Darien laughed.  "Well, that depends."

"On?"

'On whether or not having a genetically engineered gland in my brain constitutes being in biomechanics and neurological enhancers,' Darien thought but instead answered, "That depends on whether or not someone who's never actually studied either can be considered 'in' the field."

"Of course you can, so long as you have an interest."  Dominique moved down the hall toward the lab.  "Now whether or not you understood all of the presentation is another thing."

"Well, actually, I'd love to talk to you about a couple of points…over dinner maybe?"  Darien covered the distance to her and leaned against the doorframe in front of the now blushing scientist.

She fished out a scrap of paper and leaned against the door next to Darien.  She quickly scribbled down her name and number on the paper but didn't hand it to him.  "On one condition."

"You got it."

"Your name and why you're here."

"That's two."

"Okay, two conditions."

"Darien, and I heard about your research and was intrigued."

"Well, Darien who was intrigued, nice to meet you.  Gimme a call about dinner."  She handed him the paper and opened the door beside him.  It was a broom closet but it would do long enough for the flush to leave her alabaster skin.  She listened for him walk away before stepping out of the broom closet and scurried to her lab.

                                          ***********************

"So biomechanics and biotechnology.  How did you get into that?"  Darien asked Dominique later that night after they'd ordered dinner.  He'd waited exactly 2 hours before calling her.  

"Science nerd in high school.  Loved technology and medicine so I combined the two." She sipped her wine.  "What about you?"

Darien blinked.  "Oh, the interest?  Just a hobby."

"One hell of a hobby.  What do you do for a living?"

"Security."

"Oh…" There was a note of disbelief in her voice.  "Well sounds a helluva lot more lucrative and interesting that my job."

"Research?  Sound pretty interesting to me."

"Yeah well it would be more so if I actually had my doctorate but I don't."

"But your presentation…"

"Sounded like a doctor wrote it?  Well if practical experience was all that counted, I'd be a doctor twice over but it doesn't."  She took a bigger drink of her wine.  Darien saw hurt and longing flair in her brown eyes.

"Why didn't you graduate?"  He asked softly.

"I left."

"Left?"

"I gave up a double doctorate in biomechanics and biotechnology for love and to get married, neither of which was a reality.  If I'd only known then…" she whispered.  "Anyway, after a broken heart and shattered dreams, I started studying up on the field again.  I'm working on getting back into school and I'm hoping this presentation will help."

"You seemed really…passionate about the subject. You really don't believe in all that stuff, do you?"  Darien sipped at his water.

"Not testing highly experimental bio-technical neurological enhancers on humans?  Absolutely."

"So you're in favor of lab rats?"

"No."

"Then how does it go from high experimental to safe for human trials?"  Darien leaned over the table.

"Computer simulations."  Dominique said simply, but her answer left Darien puzzled.  "I've designed a program that has the potential to accurately predict the worst case scenario for the enhancers thus allowing the scientists to correct the flaws without endangering human lives."

"Computer programming, biotechnology, biomechanics…what don't do you?"

"Work in security."  There was a short silence followed by their laughter.  The ice was finally broken and shop talk aside.

                                          ***********************

Darien once again found himself in the Official's office.

"So you made contact?"  The 'Fish questioned.  Darien nodded.  "And she trusts you?"

"We had dinner and talked."

"Are you ready to plant the probe?"

"We didn't get that far."

"Why not?"

"Because I didn't push it."

"Fawkes…" The Official's voice rose.

"I'm workin' on it."  Darien got up to leave.

"Fawkes…" 

"Look, I was tricked into this assignment and I'm wingin' it so ease up." Darien walked out of the office and down the hall, not even glancing up as Hobbes approached.

"Hey partner."  Silence.  "Hey…Fawkes…"

"What?"

"What's with the attitude?"

"I dunno…what's with trickin' your partner?"

"Not my idea.  The man knew you'd never agree to the assignment voluntarily."

"Damn right I wouldn't.  I've been in Nick's place and…"  
"Whoa, wait a minute…Nick?  You're calling her Nick?"

"Yeah, Nick as in short for Dominique.  That's what she likes to be called.  I've been in her position.  I know how it feels to be used by someone…" Fawkes shifted his weight nervously from foot to foot.

"One date and you're gone."

"What?"

"You…D, I mean Nick.  You've got it bad my friend."

"Nah."

"Deny all you want.  Just get the job done."  Hobbes walked away leaving his partner alone in the hallway.

"Yeah…the job."  Speaking of Nick, he was late for lunch with her.


	3. Downfall Chapter 3

Dominique was sitting in the park waiting when Darien walked up.  Luckily she hadn't been there long so he was safe.  They walked to a hot dog stand, got two dogs, and walked around the park talking.

"So you left school to get married but didn't.  If you don't mind, what happened?"

"He was more concerned with being the world's most powerful sociopath."  She paused, waiting for Darien to get the joke.  He laughed even though he didn't quite believe her.  "Seriously, though, he never intended to marry me.  He was interested in me simply because I could help him.  He's the reason for the presentation."

"So he experimented on humans."

"Not on them but with them yeah but after I left.  I found out what he planned on doing and wanted no part of it even though I helped design the experiment.  Well, the basis for it atleast.  He stole my work and corrupted it beyond belief."  Hatred dripped from her words.

"I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's not your fault.  Well, not completely.  You're not the first person to bring this subject up with me lately.  Plus, I had a run in with him about a year or so ago that's still not sitting right with me.  What about you; ever been married?"  She forced a smile.

"Nope.  Not even close.  Been in love, though, but I always end up getting hurt."

Dominique smiled at him.  "I know that feeling all too well.  I have a tendency to put my work before everything else.  Something I learned from my ex.  Plus, I can't…I mean I don't…trust people too easily which doesn't lend itself to the dating scene."  Dominique chuckled emptily.  Darien knew exactly what she meant.

"Been there, too.  Sometimes it's not easy to open up to people is it?"  Darien stopped and looked down at Dominique.

"Nope, but for some reason, it is right now.  I mean, I'm telling you things I haven't told anyone and I don't know why.  I hardly know you but I…oh hell never mind.  Let's just walk and enjoy the park."  Her voice broke and she started walking.  Darien watched her walk a few steps ahead.  This one was gonna hurt.

                                          ***********************

Two weeks and countless lunches, dinners and a couple of movies later, Darien finally admitted to himself what Hobbes had figured out weeks ago.  He was falling for Dominique.  That wasn't in the Official's view of the assignment, though.  He'd had Claire put the probe in a water-soluble vial for Darien to slip to Dominique at "an appropriate moment" in the Official's words but Darien hadn't yet.  The more time he spent with Dominique the less he suspected that she was working with Arnaud on anything.  Supposing that Arnaud was the ex she hated so much, he'd come to her for help in redesigning the project she'd worked with him on but she'd turned him down flat because of the highly experimental nature of it.  That's when she'd designed the simulation program.  She was determined to prevent anything like the ex's experiment from ever happening again.  Darien had tried to get her to tell him what the project was but she didn't want to talk about it so he didn't press the issue.

"As always I had the best time tonight," Dominique purred when Darien dropped her off at her apartment.  He smiled as her nose crinkled with her laughter.  Yep, he had fallen hard.  He answered her compliment with a kiss.  She responded more than she had to last night's goodnight kiss.

Reluctantly breaking the kiss, Darien sighed, "I have to go."

"No you don't.  I promise I won't bite."  Dominique pecked at his chin.

'But I can't promise I'll stay visible and we haven't talked about that yet.' He looked down at her.  Her brown eyes were sparkling with more than just the wine they'd had at dinner and he was having a hard time talking himself out of staying with her.  Dominique slipped her arms around his neck and sighed.  Darien looked down at his watch and glanced quickly at his tattoo.  Deciding he'd be okay until morning, he picked Dominique up and took her inside.

                                          ***********************

Darien woke up the next morning and glanced around.  'Where am I?' he wondered until he glanced down and saw Dominique's long brown hair spilled over his chest.  He smiled as he realized exactly where he was and what had happened.

"Good morning." Dominique's sleepy voice whispered.

"Good morning to you, too."  Darien bent his head down and kissed her.

"What time is it?"

"Ten a.m.  Lucky for you it's Saturday but I still have to go by my office."  Dominique pouted at his last comment but smiled after a quick kiss from Darien before he maneuvered out of the bed and headed to the shower.  She curled up with his pillow and inhaled deeply.  She hadn't had a night like last night in so long that she couldn't remember when.  As good as last night had been, they still needed to talk about…it.  Gathering the sheet around her, Dominique padded toward the bathroom.

She leaned against the door and cleared her throat.  Darien leaned out of the shower and saw the look on her face.  He was the one who'd said; "I'll explain it in the morning."  Well, it was almost explanation time.  He quickly rinsed the shampoo from his hair, washed off quickly and stepped out of the shower.


	4. Downfall Chapter 4

Darien had taken the time to trade his towel for his jeans before heading out to face Dominique.  He took a deep breath and opened the bathroom door and found Dominique sitting on her desk, her sheet replaced by a blue terry cloth robe.  She silently kicked her desk chair toward Darien as a silent invitation to take a seat.  Darien sat down but didn't, couldn't, say a word.  He looked all around the room, anywhere to avoid her eyes.  The only sound in the room was their breathing.  Darien remembered hearing somewhere that silences could be loud and this one was deafening.

"Okay one of us has to start this and since I'm in no mood for twenty questions, why don't you just tell me what the hell that was last night."  When facing uncertainty, Dominique was all scientist.  While Darien couldn't meet her gaze, her eyes never left him.  He sighed heavily and let his head drop, and forward in the chair before starting his explanation.

"That was Quicksilver.  I…participated…in a project where a synthetic gland was inserted into my brain.  The glad secretes a substance called Quicksilver which bends light and wraps about me, rendering me and whatever, or whoever in some cases, I happen to be touching invisible.  It's triggered by adrenaline and adrenaline rushes and last night was certainly an adrenaline rush.  That's why you were seeing things in silver and couldn't exactly see me or yourself for that matter."  He sat back in the chair and only after he was through talking could he meet her gaze.  There was no hatred or fear in her eyes, but a strange type of understanding.  She was a scientist after all.  Dominique was quiet for a minute, her eyes ranging over Darien's slumped body, finally resting on his wrist.

"Is your tattoo to monitor how close you are to Quicksilver madness?"  Her eyes met his as he looked down at his tattoo noting there were an equal number of green and red sections, and then it hit him what she'd said.

"Yeah but how do you…" Darien met her eyes again and she blinked.

"Because I know who designed the gland in your brain," she said matter-of-factly.  She crossed her arms on her chest.  It was her turn to answer questions.

"You?"  Darien sat forward in his chair again.

"No, but I am responsible for the basic genetic code that was the building block for the gland.  The one responsible for its existence is my ex, Arnaud de Tiel.  I think he's going by Arnaud de Fohn now though."  Silence flooded the room again.  Dominique stared at the floor to hold the tears at bay.

"Then Arnaud was the one…" Darien began piecing everything together.

"The one I left school for.  He came to see me one day in the lab and asked if I ever wanted to work on something ground breaking and new, not the same old scholastic bullshit.  I was in awe of his plans and said yes immediately.  I left school about a week later.  When I started second guessing my decision he told me he loved me and that as soon as the project was completely underway, that we'd get married.  I even went ahead and changed my name, but the more of the code we got written, the more evident it was that the gland was the only thing in the world he cared about.  Like I told you, he was only interested in me for what I could for him."  Dominique looked Darien in the eyes.  The hurt that had been in her eyes when she'd first told him about her ex was amplified now.

"So you worked with Arnaud and my brother on the Quicksilver project."

"No.  When Arnaud told me his plans of finding someone to finish the codes and to actually build the gland, I left.  I designed and wrote the codes thinking it was all theoretical and it wasn't.  I knew that the gland, if built, would be extremely sensitive and highly experimental and shouldn't be tested on humans, on any living thing for that matter, but Arnaud didn't see it that way.  I snuck out in the middle of the night and ran.  I tried going back to school but they knew who I'd left with and why so they were deadest against me coming back.  That's when I ended up at BioTech.  I didn't even know Arnaud had found someone to build that damned thing until he came to see me one day.  He told me that he'd done it, built the gland, but there were complications when implanted into the human subject.  He wanted me to help him replicate the code and the gland; he even brought me all the notes on the work he'd done after I left.  I told him no, that I couldn't help him, but even if I could help him that I wouldn't.  I knew something like Quicksilver madness was a possibility if the gland was ever made a reality simply because of the chemical makeup of the Quicksilver itself.  Right before he left he told me he'd killed the last person to refuse him something.  That was the last time I saw him, but I still have nightmares about that day now.  After Arnaud left, I cried for days, not because of some misplaced guilt over not helping him but because I'd helped create something that was inside someone's head and slowly driving them insane.  I had no idea who you were until I met you a few weeks ago."  

Darien sat looking at her.  She gone back to watching the floor and her breathing had become staggered like she was on the verge of tears but wouldn't let herself cry.  He got up and walked over to her.  He was about to put his arms around her when she blind-sided him with another question he really didn't want to answer.

"What were you really doing at my presentation that day?"  She asked quietly but never looked up from the floor.  The question seemed to physically knock Darien backwards.  He was tired of lying to her, but the truth might do more damage than another lie would, but he couldn't lie to her again.

"The agency I work for found out about you and your connection to Arnaud.  They wanted to know if you were still working with him." He looked down at her and when Dominique's eyes finally met his again, anger flared brightly in them.

"So you didn't just hear about my work and were intrigued then.  You came after me because of what I knew or what you thought I could possibly know.  That's what all this week has been about then.  Get close to her to see what she knows!" Dominique's voiced dropped to a quiet hiss.

"At first but Nick I swear…"

"And last night?  Was that to make sure I trusted you enough to spill my heart out to you?!  Was that part of your assignment?!"

"Nick, I swear last night was because you wanted it to happen.  Nobody told me to sleep with you." Darien closed the distance to her again and grabbed her arms.  The tears she'd been holding back were flooding down her cheeks.

"It's all happening again.  All of it and you're just like Arnaud; only in it for what I can do for you."  Her arms tensed under Darien's grip and he eased up.  Dominique looked down and took a deep breath.  She fought her way free of Darien's grip and back away from him and towards the bathroom.  "But instead of me leaving, you are."

"What?"

"Get out."  She bent down and picked his crumpled shirt off the floor and threw it at him.  

"Nick…"Darien held his shirt and reached a hand out to her.

"Don't come near me.  Just get out."  She was deadly calm as she stepped backwards into the bathroom and closed the door, leaving Darien standing alone in the apartment.  He opened his mouth to say her name but closed it again, opting instead just to pick up the rest of his clothes and leave.  Dominique leaned her head against the bathroom door and sobbed silently.  She didn't really want him to go but she didn't know what else to do.  She put her hand on the doorknob to open it and tell him she was sorry but she stopped herself.  Darien took one last look back at the closed bathroom door before opening the front door and leaving.  

Dominique opened the bathroom door a split second after the front door closed.  She walked over to the front door and leaned on it, almost opening it to yell Darien's name.  Instead she stood there crying.  She never heard the sound of other footsteps approaching her door seconds before kicking the door in and knocking her unconscious.


	5. Downfall Chapter 5

"Have you tried calling her?" Hobbes asked of his sulking partner.

"About a hundred times since I left her this morning.  She's not answering."  Darien mumbled.  "Man I really messed this one up."

"Never get involved with an assignment."  Bobby flipped through a catalogue of electronic upgrades for cars, taking mental notes.

"She was more than just an assignment.  She was…"

"An assignment you hadda be tricked into in the first place."  Hobbes glanced up at his partner.  The fact that Darien's hair looked normal should've been a dead give away that something was wrong.  Darien started kicking something on the ground around and went even further into sulking mode.  Hobbes put the catalogue down.  "You really care about her?"  Fawkes nodded.  "Then go see her and make her listen to what you gotta say.  Don't let any of this, " Bobby motioned around at the garage, "stand between you and someone you care about.  Take it from Bobby Hobbes on this one my friend."  Darien looked at the other agent.  Yeah, Bobby was speaking from personal experience.  

"The worst she can do is call the cops…"

"That's the spirit.  Now get outta here.  I got parts to order."  Hobbes went back to his catalogue as Darien left the garage.

                                          ***********************

"Nick?  Dominique?  You home?"  Darien rounded the corner to knock on Dominique's door and found it wide open.  Someone had busted in.  "Nick?!" He yelled as he practically jumped through the open doorway.  The apartment was a mess.  The books from Dominique's bookshelf had been thrown all over the place.  Her Star Wars posters and her Labyrinth poster were ripped off the walls.  Her computer had been trashed.  Darien grabbed her cordless phone and called Hobbes.

"She's gone…Yeah, Dominique.  Looks like someone busted in and grabbed her.  The place is a mess.  Her computer's trashed, too.  Yeah, okay," Darien stammered out and hung up the phone.  Hobbes was on his way with a clean up crew.  Darien walked over the apartment, careful not to touch, well, much.  Nick's science fiction collection was scattered and some of the books were ripped apart.  He picked up her leather bound compilation of fantasy short stories and thumbed through it.  She'd scribbled notes everywhere.  He dropped the book back where he'd found it.  Darien saw the remains of her unicorn collection littering the floor.  Her tapestries were in shreds, too.  In a matter of one morning, Dominique had gone from reading about science fiction and fantasy to actually being a part of it.  Now she was missing and Darien was afraid it was his fault.

                                          ***********************

"You didn't see anyone suspicious on your way out?"  Hobbes prodded.

"No, nobody.  Of course I wasn't paying complete attention…"

"Why didn't you deliver the probe?  We'd know where she was right now."  The Official's voice boomed.  Darien didn't answer.  "Fawkes, you're dismissed.  Go see the Keeper about your shot.  Hobbes, stay here and make sure everything's taken care of and take that computer back to the Agency.  It might be useful."

That stirred a thought in Darien.  "No it won't.  That's her personal computer; she only writes on that one.  Any work she does at home she does on a laptop she brings in from her office."  Darien ran his finger over the computer keyboard.

"Hobbes, see to it that laptop is retrieved and looked over."  The Official said and left.  Darien didn't even blink.

Hobbes put his hand on his partner's shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze.  "You heard the man.  Go see Claire and then go home and rest.  We'll find her."  Darien nodded and left but not without grabbing one of Nick's pillows.  No one said a word as he walked out holding it.


	6. Downfall Chapter 6

Two days later and there was no sign of Nick or clue who her abductors were.  Darien was willing to bet serious money that Arnaud was involved in it somehow.  He called her apartment sometimes twice an hour just to see if whoever had her had returned her and every time he called and got the machine, his heart broke all over again.  He even stayed there and cleaned the place up after Hobbes and the crew had finished going over everything for clues.  If he had just paid a little more attention to the people coming and going from her apartment building that morning, maybe he'd been able to do something but he didn't.  He'd been too busy getting a head start on sulking.

"You're doing no good moping around here like you've been for two days."  Claire bustled around her office and around Darien.

"What else can I do?  I've told the Official, Eberts and Hobbes everything I know of her involvement, or lack thereof lately, with Arnaud.  Hobbes said there were no fingerprints, no nothing at her apartment and I don't do computers so Eberts is on his own with her laptop."  Darien had managed to rationalize his depressed state in such a way that Claire could come up with no convincing argument against it.  

"The laptop is useless."  Hobbes said as he opened the door of the keep.  A very frustrated Eberts followed carrying Nick's laptop and punching keys furiously.

"What?"  Claire and Darien chimed at once.

"It's encrypted and, well…"

"Eberts can't break the encryption."  Hobbes finished as Eberts punched the enter key a little harder than was necessary.

"You're joking." Claire mused.  "Eberts, I thought you could break any encryption code."

"Not this one.  I've never seen anything like it before.  It's got a totally unique encryption key and without that key, it stays encrypted."  Eberts sat down with the laptop at Claire's desk.  Darien tried to muffle a laugh.  "What's so funny?" Eberts demanded.

"She said she didn't work in security.  Looks like that thing's pretty damn secure."  Darien nodded toward the laptop and Eberts shut it with a huff.  "She obviously didn't want anyone else to have whatever is on the hard drive.  It took me hours just to crack her password.  She doesn't leave anything to chance."  Darien's head drooped until his chin rested on his chest.  No one in the keep tried to say anything to cheer him up simply because, short of finding out Nick was alive and safe, there was nothing anyone could say.  Darien's cell phone ringing finally broke the silence.

"Yeah…this is Fawkes."  Darien answered but there was nothing but labored breathing on the other end.  "Hello?"

"Da…Darien?" The voice gasped out.

"Nick?!  Where are you?"  He jumped off the counteragent chair.  At the mention of Dominique's nickname, the room's other three inhabitants jumped to attention.  Claire put her hand on Darien's elbow; Hobbes leaned toward him over the chair and Eberts opened the laptop back just in case she gave up the encryption key.

"Help…home…" She managed to stammer out and then silence, no dial tone, nothing.

"Nick?!  Talk to me…where are you?  Nick?" Darien strained to hear anything else but there was only very labored breathing on the other end of the phone.  "Hang on honey…I'll be right there!"  He hung up the phone and turned to face Claire.

"Where is she?  Is she all right?" Claire and Bobby asked at once.  

"I think she's at home and I don't know.  Claire, ya gotta come with me.  She sounds like she's hurt big time."  Darien was fighting to stay in control of his emotions.  Claire silently but quickly started pulling supplies out of the cabinet and put them in her medical bag.  Darien grabbed her elbow and practically yanked her out of the keep and the Agency.

"Get the encryption key!" Eberts yelled before the door to the keep slammed shut.

                                          ***********************

The ride over to Nick's apartment was a blur to Darien.  He only had one thing on his mind and that was to get to Nick and make sure she was okay.  Claire, on the other hand, hadn't the nerve to even glance out of the window at the world speeding by her.  'Speed limits are inconsequential to Darien at this point,' she mused.  Screeching to a halt in front of Nick's apartment building, Darien leapt out of the car and slew up the stars.  Claire could only guess the way to the correct apartment.

"Nick?  Dominique!" Darien called as soon as he got within ear shot of her door, which was open wide just the way it was the afternoon he'd come by and found that she was missing.  A sick wave of déjà vu crept over him, but he pushed it to the back of his mind and flew through the door.  Dominique was curled in a ball on the floor, her phone a pen and piece of paper the only things close to her deathly still body.  Darien fell down beside her and drew her body to his.  Her long brown hair was matted with blood but he could find no trace of a serious head wound.  He pushed the hair away from her face and saw blood covering her alabaster skin.  Blood had dried where it had flowed from her nose and mouth; one of her eyes was swollen shut.  She made a noise of discomfort as Darien rocked them both.  "Nick?  Can you hear me?  Nick please answer me…" Darien whispered but her only sound was a whimper.

Claire put her hand on Darien's shoulder and motioned for him to put Nick on the bed.  He carefully lifted her off the floor and cradled her even closer to his own body.  She was shivering.  Only then did he notice that she wore only her blue terry cloth robe.  He carefully laid her down on the bed and moved so Claire could work on her.  As his Keeper examined his girlfriend, Nick moaned loudly and Darien spun away from the noise.  He couldn't stand to see her in such pain.  The paper that had been beside Nick when he'd found her crunched under his foot.  He leaned down and picked it up.  In a very fragmented version of Nick's handwriting were three words.  Arnaud.  Quicksilver.  Danger.  So Arnaud was behind what had happened to Dominique.  Darien crushed the paper into a tiny ball.  'I'll kill him for this,' Darien fumed and turned back to face Claire and Dominique.  Claire's hand were flying over Dominique's still body, checking her pulse, blood pressure, pupils, everything.  All Darien could do was sit down in Nick's desk chair and watch and wait.  He rested his elbows on his knees and his head on his hands.

"Darien…" Claire whispered and touched him on the shoulder when he didn't answer her.  His head snapped up.

"Nick?"

"She's sleeping.  As far as I can tell there are no life threatening injuries.  Her pulse and blood pressure are strong and there's no tenderness that suggests internal injuries.  She might have a bruised or even a cracked rib.  Other than that, it's mainly cuts and bruises.  She's lost some blood but not a life-threatening amount.  She's lucky by comparison."  Claire looked at her sleeping patient.

"Is she…in a coma?"

"Of a sort.  I gave her a very mild sedative mixed with a painkiller that should keep her out for a good while.  Do you know of anyone who can come stay with her?"

"I'll stay with her." Darien sat down softly on the bed next to Dominique.

"All right but she's going to need someone here 'round the clock.  Do you know of any friends who could come stay with her?"  Darien looked puzzled for a moment before opening her bedside drawer and taking out her address book.  He recognized several names of friends she'd talked to him about.  He gently got off the bed, retrieved the phone and began calling the names he recognized.

Half an hour later, Nick's friend Joyce was standing in the middle of the room looking at Nick's sleeping form.  "Is she gonna be okay?"

"She should be fine in a few days.  Give her these if she appears to be in any kind of pain and call me at this number when she wakes up or if there are any problems."  Claire handed the other woman a bottle of mild, but effective, painkillers and her cell phone number.  Claire glanced at Darien, who was again sitting by Nick.  "Darien, I'll be outside," Claire said softly and left.

"She went on and on about you the last time I talked to her.  Her taste in men has definantly improved." Joyce leaned against Nick's desk.  Darien looked up at her.

"You know…"

"About Arnaud, yeah.  I'm the one who got her the job at BioTech.  After his last visit, I told her he was dangerous.  Who knew he could be capable of this.." Joyce looked down.

Darien chose not to ask how she knew Arnaud was responsible for Nick's abduction and beating.  Instead he silently leaned down, kissed Nick on the forehead and got up to leave.

"It's not your fault you know…"Joyce said as he walked past her.

"Wish I could agree with that but I can't.  Call me if she wakes up.  You sure you're okay to stay tonight?"

"Yeah.  I called a couple of our other friends and we formed a schedule.  I'm staying tonight, Meg's coming by in the morning, and Liz stays tomorrow night.  After that, there's negotiating to be done.  Don't worry, we'll take care of her.  Go get some sleep.  You look like death." Joyce shot him a warm and comforting smile. Darien tried to return the smile but couldn't.  Sleep was the last thing he had time for but he wanted to be at his best when he found that little Swiss bastard.


	7. Downfall Chapter 7

He'd wanted to kill Arnaud the minute he laid eyes on him, but Darien knew that would be too quick.  He wanted to torture him, make him pay for every bad thing he'd ever done to Darien, for killing Kevin and hurting Dominique, but he never got the chance.  As soon as Arnaud mentioned a cure for Quicksilver madness, Darien had to let him live, at least for a little while, but he escaped before turning over the cure.  That sealed Arnaud's fate in Darien's opinion.  The next time he laid eyes on Arnaud de Fohn or de Tiel or whatever he wanted to call himself, Darien swore he'd kill him.

Interrogating the Brat Pack, as Hobbes called them, wasn't as much fun as it should've been.  In fact, Darien had sat back and let Hobbes have all the fun.  His heart just wasn't in it and his mind was elsewhere.  He still had no cure for Quicksilver madness and Nick still hadn't woken up.  

Darien walked into the Keep to find his Keeper on the phone.  She didn't even flinch as the door to the Keep slammed shut.

"Yes…yes…all right…of course, I'll be right over…alone.  Yes goodbye."

"Hot date?" Darien mumbled and Claire jumped.

"Not exactly.  Dominique is awake."  Darien spun around to leave, waiting only for Claire to join him.  When she didn't, he turned back around.  "She…well…"

"Doesn't want to see me." Darien's voice was small and defeated.

"Not yet but she's just woken up.  Give her some time."

"Sure.  No problem." Darien sat down in the counteragent chair and watched Claire grab her medical bag and leave.  He had no intention of not seeing Dominique but admitted to himself that he couldn't risk using up too much Quicksilver to go invisible.  So instead he did things the old fashioned visible way.

                                          ***********************

"She woke up about an hour ago but wouldn't let me call anyone at first." Darien heard an unfamiliar woman's voice inside the apartment.  Claire, luckily, hadn't shut the door all the way and Darien could listen in.

"Dominique?  Do you know who I am?"

"I think…I kinda remember you from…you were with Darien when he found me."

"That's right.  My name is Claire.  I'm…"

"Darien's Keeper.  You're responsible for administering his counteragent."  Darien could almost hear the shock in Claire's voice.

"That's right.  I'm also his friend.  He's not here.  I told him you didn't want to see him yet."

"Beth, could you do me a favor?" 'Beth must be the other woman in the room,' Darien guessed.

"I need to run a few errands anyway.  I'll be back later.  I've got my cell phone if you need anything." Beth said and breezed out of the door.  Glancing at his tattoo, Darien decided that he was in no immediate danger of madness and Quicksilvered to move in and eavesdrop on the conversation a little closer.

Claire was taking Nick's pulse.  Nick's face wasn't as swelled as it had been a few days ago, but it was still banged and bruised up.  "How do you know about the counteragent?"

"Because I know the gland in Darien's head better almost than Arnaud."

Recognition dawned on Claire's face.  "Of course.  Darien told me of your early work on the gland."

"Yeah.  So you know the back-story.  Good.  I can skip to now."  There must have been confusion on Claire's face.  "There are things I know that you need to as Darien's Keeper.  Did Arnaud mention a cure for Quicksilver madness?" Claire nodded.  "A suicide gene?" Another nod.  "Did he give you the formula?"  Nothing but Dominique continued.  "Either way, it's a fake.  There is no cure for Quicksilver madness.  Arnaud concocted that to get Darien to help him at least appear to escape from Chrysalis."  There must have been more confusion on Claire's face because Dominique explained, "Arnaud didn't want to completely alienate Chrysalis.  They're too powerful, so he, along with their cooperation, staged an escape.  The suicide gene therapy he concocted was a fluke.  Introducing the suicide gene to any part of the gland would effective kill the gland.  Normally this wouldn't be a problem but the gland has become too…interwoven…with Darien's higher brain functions.  In other words, kill the gland…"

"And you kill Darien." Claire finished the sentence.

"Exactly."  Dominique shifted slightly on her pillows.  "There is no cure for Quicksilver madness.  Or, I should say, none that I've found yet in years of research.  I'm still working on it, though.  Now, for part two.  The counteragent Arnaud gave you the formula for has stopped working hasn't it?" Again, Claire nodded.  "The formula degrades after so many replications.  You have to manipulate the chemical structure slightly with every replication or it will always stop working."

"I tried synthesizing a new formula but it backfired." Claire whispered.

"The trick is not to change the formula but just it's arrangement.  I have all this on my laptop at work.  If you could get it for me…"

"We have it at the Agency.  Our best computer person has been working on breaking your encryption but he's been unsuccessful."

"He needs the encryption key and I'm the only one who has it."  Dominique leaned further into her pillows.  "Does Darien know about any of this?"  That was his cue.

"He does now."  Darien whispered shaking off the Quicksilver.  Dominique closed her eyes and Claire spun around.

"I told you…"

"I know what you told me but here I am."

"Darien…"

"Claire, don't worry about it.  He had to find out sooner or later.  Look, get me my laptop and you can have all my research so long as you both leave me alone."  Dominique closed her eyes and took a couple of slow deep breaths.  She couldn't look at Darien and she didn't want him to see her the way she was.

"I'll see what I can do but I'm not making any promises."  Claire picked up her medical bag and closed it.  "You've got my number if you need anything.  Darien…" Claire's voice was angry until she saw the devastated look on Darien's face.  She wordlessly walked out of the apartment and downstairs.

"Dom…Nick, I know you didn't want to see me but…"

"But what?  You had to come anyway and apologize?  Two days they kept me there.  Two days of questions and being beaten and do you know what got me through it?  I kept saying to myself, 'Darien will find you.  He'll figure out who's got you and he'll save you.'  When that failed and they finally brought me back here, your number was the only number I could dial, the only number I could remember." Her voice cracked and Darien blinked back a tear.  He took a step toward her but her voice stopped him.  "And when I woke up, you were the only person I asked for.  I looked around for you but you were nowhere to be found.  Beth was here.  I asked where you were and she said she hadn't seen you.  When I needed you the most you were nowhere to be found."

"Nick, let me explain." Darien pleaded.

"No…just please leave me alone.  Please. Please leave me alone." Her voice gave way to tears and she turned her head away from him.  Her sobs were quiet but he could still hear them.  As he'd done almost a month before, Darien turned and walked slowly out of the apartment and out of her life.


	8. Downfall Chapter 8

Giving him time off for once, the Official told Darien to take a vacation and Darien took his advice.  Instead of a vacation, though, Darien stayed home and mainly watched T.V. for a week.  He'd gone out and rented every sci-fi movie Nick had ever said she'd liked and a couple she didn't like but watched anyway because, "the graphics kick ass!"  

So a six days and God only knew how many sci-fi and fantasy movies later, Darien got up and went back to work.  Once in the Agency, his first stop was by the Keep for a check-up.  Claire gave him a stamp of relatively good health and his counteragent shot.

"Uh, Keep…is there more green this time or am I finally just going completely nuts?" Darien questioned.

"No, there's more green this time but it's still not perfect.  We got the research off of her computer and I'm working on a new counteragent."  Darien's good mood dimmed slightly at the mention of Dominique.  "I'm also working on your cure but that's our little secret."  Claire whispered and untied the rubber tubing from Darien's bicep.  "Off you go…the Official would like to see you."  Darien hopped out of the chair and practically bounced out of the room and down the hall.

"Are you lost?" An all-together too familiar voice chimed from behind him.  He didn't even turn around.

"What?"  Darien turned around slowly to see Dominique taking off her glasses.  Her face hadn't completely healed but only someone paying very close attention to her features could see evidence of the bruising that had completely covered her face just a week or so before.  Regardless, the sight of her took Darien's breath away.

"Well, you don't look like the rest of this crowd so either you lost or just a sloppy agent."  Dominique put her glasses in her pocket.

"What are you doing here?"  Darien carefully walked towards her.

"Ah, Fawkes I see you've met our newest staff member.  Her research is proving to be very interesting.  She even has a design for cutting edge nanotechnology."  The Official's voice boomed proudly.

"Yes sir she's very talented."  Dominique blushed.  The Official blinked at the play on words but said nothing as he walked off, leaving Dominique and Darien alone in the hall.

"So you work here now?  Since when?"  Darien walked past her to lean on the doorframe behind her.

"Three days ago.  Claire gave the Official my message and he offered me a job so I could continue my research with Claire's help.  How could I say no?"  She leaned on the doorframe across from Darien.

"Well, well, well…Computer programming, biotechnology, biomechanics…what don't you do?"

Dominique slid up next to Darien's body and plastered her small frame against his larger one.  "Oh wouldn't you like to know."  

The End


	9. After the Fall

Epilogue

It had been a long week.  Dominique was trying to adjust to her new job and new responsibilities and dodging Darien's questions.  'Thank God for Fridays,' she thought, shutting down her computer.  She'd bargained to have this weekend off so she wouldn't burn out too quickly at the Agency.  The Official grudgingly granted her request, sighting that the new counteragent was still effective therefore earning her the weekend off.

"Hey."  Darien's voice right above her head almost made her jump out of her chair.  She took her glasses off and rubbed the bridge of her nose gently.

"Hey yourself.  What's wrong?" She barely glanced at him.

"That was gonna be my line.  Why have you been avoiding me?"  He turned her chair around to face him.  She folded her hands together and shoved them between her knees.  She didn't know if she was ready for this.

"I haven't…"

"Yes you have.  You duck out of the Keep if someone even mentions my name.  She run into broom closets if you see me coming down the hall.  What's goin' on?" Darien knelt down in front her and looked up at her.  Short of completely blowing him off, Dominique realized there was no getting out of this one.

"Fine.  What do you want to know?"  She whispered.

"Everything.  Why did Arnaud have you kidnapped?  What did he want?  Why did you kick me out the day you woke up and then turn around, come work for the same Agency I do and act like nothing was wrong your first day here?"  Darien got up and paced around the somewhat confining lab.  Dominique sighed.  'I knew this wasn't going to be easy.'

"Okay, enough with the Inquisition." Dominique sat back in her chair and took a deep breath.  "The morning I kicked you out, I went to the door but stopped myself short of opening and calling your name.  The next thing I knew, someone had kicked in the door and knocked me flat on my back.  After that, nothing.  When I finally woke up, I heard Arnaud talking to someone, another man he called Stark I believe.  They were arguing about why Arnaud had wanted me brought there, wherever there was.  I never knew where they had me.  That's when I started telling myself that you'd save me any minute but you didn't.  It never occurred to me that you didn't know where I was.  I kept my eyes closed and kept quiet so they'd think I was still unconscious but Arnaud knows me better than that.  That's when the questions and beating started.  Arnaud told Stark that I knew easily as much about the gland as he did and I'd be a valuable asset and ally in removing it.  Stark wanted to know what exactly I knew about removing the gland.  I told him I didn't know anything, which is the truth.  I've never run the scenario of removing the gland.  I doubted it could be done, but it was." Dominique stopped at looked at Darien who had situated himself on the edge of her desk.  She couldn't read his emotions at all so she continued.

"It was like that most of the time I was there.  For every answer they didn't like, I got hit.  After a while, I didn't feel any pain.  That's when they stopped.  Stark was furious that Arnaud had lied to him and wasted his time.  I was to be eliminated, Stark declared but Arnaud bargained for my life.  If anything went wrong with their retrieval operation and Arnaud wasn't himself, they'd need someone to repair the damage.  Stark left me in the room with Arnaud.  I couldn't see him because I kept my eyes closed but I could hear him clearly. 'You're waiting on Fawkes to rescue you but he won't.  He doesn't even know where you are,' he whispered.  I asked what he was going to do to you.  That's when he told me about the suicide gene therapy.  'Give him hope and then take it away' was his exact response.  I can still feel his breath on my neck but I never opened my eyes. 'Why are you telling me this?  Aren't you afraid I'll tell Darien?' It took every bit of energy I had to keep my voice from cracking.  I was certain he would kill me or atleast have me killed.  He never answered me.  He just laughed demonically and that's the last thing I remember before waking up in my apartment."  Dominique fell silent and hugged herself as cold chilled racked her body.  Darien knew better than to try and put his arms around her.  She wasn't through yet.

"What I told you about your number being the only one I could remember and could dial was the truth.  I think I passed out on the phone and when I came to and you still weren't there I tried to leave you a message about what had happened but I could barely hold the pen."  Darien nodded when she looked at him as if to ask if he'd found it.  "I don't remember anything concrete until I woke up and Beth was there.  I remember visions of you and Claire, but I didn't know who she was at the time.  I was furious because you weren't there."  She put her hand up when Darien made a noise to interrupt her.  "I know, I know.  You were busy.  After I kicked you out again, I cried.  I cried so hard that every muscle in my body ached.  I cried until I thought I was going to suffocate because I could catch my breath in between the sobs.  Beth got back and when she couldn't calm me down, she called Joyce.  By the time Joyce got there, I'd calmed down but didn't say a word.  That's when I found out the truth.  Joyce gave me a verbal butt kicking when I finally told her that I'd kicked you out.  She told me that you'd been the one who'd found out I was gone.  You'd stayed in my apartment.  You were the one who'd cleaned it up and you were the one who arranged for people to be with me until I woke up.  Joyce told me you looked like death warmed over and she didn't think you'd slept at all in the two days I was gone.  I just lay there, not knowing what to say or think.  She told me I was a fool for throwing you out and I realized she was right.  She was the one who'd told me not to trust Arnaud in the first place when I first met him and she was the one who helped me pick up the pieces of my life when I left him.  I knew she was right again.  I called Claire the next day and told her to give her boss a message for me.  I'd keep working on a successful counteragent if he'd give me the lab space to do it in.  Joyce also happens to be my boss and fired me right before she left my apartment.  'You can't do what you need to at BioTech so I suggest you find another job.'  I didn't sleep at all the night before I came to work here.  I didn't know how you'd react to seeing me but when I came in and you weren't around, I was scared.  Claire told me that you'd been granted a vacation and I was relieved.  That day in my apartment you still looked like death warmed over.  My little display in the hallway the day you came back was my warped way of finding out if you hated me.  Silly I know…" Dominique fell silent and looked at Darien.  His hands were folded in his lap and he was just looking at her.

"I couldn't hate you.  I blamed myself for you being kidnapped.  I thought you hated me when you kicked me out the day you woke up."  His voice was so low that Dominique had to strain to hear him.

"I thought I hated you but I didn't and I don't.  I was confused and hurt and still very scared.  Truth be told I'm still scared.  Not of you but that Arnaud will come back and kill me."  She shuddered again at the mention of Arnaud's name.

"He'll never hurt you again.  I'll see to that as soon as I find him."  Venom dripped from Darien's words.

"I know.  But until then let me help you.  I'm responsible for that gland being in your head.  If I hadn't written the basic code structure I doubt if Arnaud ever would've gotten it built.  Plus, I owe you my life."

"But I didn't save you like you thought I would…"

"No but the time we spent together did.  If we'd never met and I'd been kidnapped I wouldn't have had anything to keep me from giving up and letting them kill me.  As it was, I thought about you and the wonderful times we spent together and part of me fought to stay alive.  Otherwise, they would've broken me that first day and I wouldn't be here now.  Let me help you now."  It was Dominique's turn to get up and walk to Darien.  She stopped in front of him and tentatively reached her hand out to caress the side of his face.  "You asked me once what didn't I do.  I don't watch people I care about…people I love…hurt when I can help them.  I couldn't stand the thought of you slowly going insane and me with the potential to be able to help you.  That's why I came to work here.  I don't want to watch you lose what little bit of a mind you have left after all of this.  Can you forgive me enough to let me help?"  Darien grabbed her hand and held it away from his face.  A single tear slid down Dominique's face and she tried to turn away.  He wouldn't forgive her.

"I love you, too," he whispered and kissed the palm of her hand.  Dominique slowly turned back around and saw a single tear sliding down his cheek to.  Maybe they'd both be okay after all.


End file.
